A female doctor working in one of the hospitals whose husband passed away was told that either she must bring a mahram (a relative one may not marry) or her contract would end and she would return to her country. She and one of the men from her country, who works in the same country, agreed to marry as long as she is here, and upon her return to her country, he would divorce her. What is the ruling on this marriage?

The questioner : A female doctor working in one of the hospitals, whose husband passed away, was told: either you bring a mahram (a relative one may not marry) or your contract will end and you will go to your country. She and one of the men from her country, who works in the same country where she is, agreed that he would marry her as long as she is here, and upon her return to her country, he would divorce her. What is the ruling on this marriage, given the situation as described?

The Shaykh : First: if this marriage takes place during the 'iddah (the waiting period after divorce or widowhood), meaning before she has completed the waiting period for death, it is not valid (sahih) and is invalid (batil) by the consensus of the Muslims. The waiting period for death is four months and ten days for a woman who is not pregnant, and the delivery of the fetus for a woman who is pregnant. The duration of pregnancy may be long or short. If he marries her after the waiting period, there is nothing wrong with it, but on the condition that he intends it to be a marriage of desire. Then, if it occurs to him to divorce her later, there is nothing wrong with that.